There’s no doubt the reforms were unpopular with many residents. Whether they improved outcomes for students has been the subject of debate.

A recent study led by Harvard researchers found that the changes led to an initial decline in student growth on state tests. By 2016, students’ annual gains in English, but not math, were higher than comparable students across New Jersey, the researchers found. Students’ scores have continued to rise, and graduation rates leapt nearly 20 percentage points since the overhaul began. Meanwhile, the city’s large charter-school networks — including North Star Academy, whose board Booker once sat on — rank among the top performing schools in the state.

Other indicators are less encouraging: About one in three students in Newark’s traditional schools were chronically absent last school year — about the same share as when the reforms began.

But whatever improvements the changes spurred have largely been overshadowed by the way they were enacted. Detailed in the book “The Prize” by journalist Dale Russakoff, the overhaul came to symbolize top-down reform imposed by ideological outsiders and highly paid consultants.

In recent years, Zuckerberg has reconsidered his approach to reform in Newark, saying he wants to “go in the opposite direction” by working more closely with community members and teachers unions.

There is no one to take Andrew on. It's like New Yorkers have accepted the status quo as the new normal. What say you sbw in the Netherlands?

JiB, Republicans rid themselves of their party chairman. The party depends on independently rich people to run for governor. The party lost steam since losing the State Senate, and the NYC Dem machine runs everything. Pretty much hopeless.

This was a very strong and persuasive appearance by Trey Gowdy, nailing Comey and Strzok and effectively gutting the stupidity of Eric Swalwell --
Gowdy: Comey has no one to blame but himself https://youtu.be/ehOO079WDL4 via @YouTube

A district judge has ruled Boris Johnson will be summonsed to court to face accusations of misconduct in public office for comments made in the run-up to the EU referendum
=======================
Anyone know what this is about?

Since there has been some discussion about the spying going back to 2012, this article is very valuable. Sundance has gone through documents and makes a pretty good argument that this started by spying no conservative organizations and donors, migrating to the IRS and other government agencies.

As Governor of IN I was proud to sign a law that requires remains of aborted babies be treated w/dignity & respect and blocks groups like Planned Parenthood from the horrific practice of selling fetal tissue. Today’s decision by the Supreme Court was a victory for life!

Vice President Mike Pence
‏Verified account @VP
17h17 hours ago

Today, Justice Thomas wrote: SCOTUS has been zealous in the past in barring discrimination based on sex, race, & disability. Hopeful someday soon SCOTUS will recognize the same protections for the unborn when they rule on future appeals of pro-life legislation.

=============================
The requirement for burial keeps Planned Parenthood from selling fetal tissues and organs and cuts off a huge source of their money.

Since there has been some discussion about the spying going back to 2012, this article is very valuable. Sundance has gone through documents and makes a pretty good argument that this started by spying no conservative organizations and donors, migrating to the IRS and other government agencies.

Eventually people will figure out that Obama makes Nixon look like a choir boy.

jim nj, you both need to be very, very careful The boyfriend is a crazy man, but his crazy fits with Debra's. Kinda lock and key. (I'm being very frank here---people who stay with abusers are not well themselves--long standing issues of esteem, at a minimum, usually. Often a pattern of behavior they grew up with, so they don't feel uncomfortable with it til far down the line.)

But until the abused wants to go, there is NOTHING you can do to get them to leave, pretty much.

There are experts available in your community---contact them, make sure Debra has their number(s). And there is a reason those safe houses are not made public---most likely time for a woman--and anybody helping her--to be killed is the 24 hours after she leaves.
Do NOT be where she comes.

I am somewhat amazed that my FB feed is silent on the Thomas position. It must be the eugenics argument silenced the pro-choice crowd.

Beasts, I reluctantly went to my 30th reunion and was quite glad that I did. The shared stories are great, it's fun to see how people age, and the most unlikely people hit it off. I am now great friends with a guy who I barely knew then, he spends time with my family every time he comes to town to see his dad. While I wouldn't travel far for the next reunion, I'll definitely go.

There is no way in hell that isn't coming out. It was the basis for Horowitz' FISA abuse investigation. People most definitely are going to be indicted.
Posted by: JackStraw at May 28, 2019 06:39 PM (/tuJf)

Posted by: Captain Hate | May 28, 2019 at 07:22 PM

I have never doubted for a minute that this would come out. And with the attacks on "Fake News" ramping up, it's obvious that laying the groundwork for a rationale to ignore the stories is the new plan. I continue to be amazed by the ability of my lefty friends and acquaintances to ignore these stories.

Republicans cannot allow themselves to again lose the Senate seat in the Great State of Alabama. This time it will be for Six Years, not just Two. I have NOTHING against Roy Moore, and unlike many other Republican leaders, wanted him to win. But he didn’t, and probably won’t.....

...If Alabama does not elect a Republican to the Senate in 2020, many of the incredible gains that we have made during my Presidency may be lost, including our Pro-Life victories. Roy Moore cannot win, and the consequences will be devastating....Judges and Supreme Court Justices!

Robin, I lurk on my spouse's feed. (I never joined; I know way too many people, and would LOVE to catch up with nearly all of them!)

So, I get to see my most extreme/least informed "educator" relatives, who post political stuff with hair on fire comments, if I actively seek them--he hides them.

Just out of interest, I recently scrolled back on one's (in law, FTR) timeline, who dramatically declared her departure two weeks ago "because I can't stand the news of this world any more! I'll be on Instagram." Doing so, I saw a "Impeach HIM!" associated w a Barr news story from about three weeks ago, but otherwise, total radio silence all the way back til mid April, when a link to Amazon selling the Mueller report was posted---BEFORE the release date.

Not a single word about the findings of NO COLLUSION, NO OBSTRUCTION. Not one.

But yes, Barr needs to be impeached.

They have nothing to say, because what do you say? I am an idiot for believing these liars?
Way better to do a "I refuse to deal with reality" declaration, no?? ;-)
Life is so much easier when lived with your head in the sand.

It's got to be getting through to some of them in the muddled middle at least. The ratings drop for CNN, MSNBC and drop in FB use for the far more "pretty pictures" format of Instagram is what I take as supporting evidence.

I maintain that all of the spying talk won't sink in until this spying on millions sinks in.

They don't care if it's Trump, but when it turns out that THEY were being spied on, things will really start to turn.

Also, some of these people are going to be shown to be tied to indisputable crimes: money laundering, bribes from foreign governments, embezzlement of government funds, taking money from the drug cartels, maybe even pedophilia and child sex trafficking.

Using Henry Blodgett*'s Business Insider as a verifiable source of actual business or market news is akin to using People Magazine and CNN's Headline News to make baseball bets.

*Banned by the SEC from the biz, permanently. That takes serious effort to get them that mad.

Today is the last day for "Regular Way" settlement for the month (3 days) as well as the closing window for a large swath of Hedge Fund redemption requests to be fulfilled (Give me what's left of my money back!). The last big redemption period was October and November and people might recall that "It's The ECONOMY, Stupid!!11!!" was the reason given then as well.

Biden has something wrong with him.
Yes, he does.
Any neurologist, neurosurgeon, or likely even med student with the brain anatomy fresh in their mind can tell you what happens when you have an aneurysm rupture where his did.

Frontal lobes give us control of our behavior.
Like, keeping us from saying "this is a big fucking deal" at an open mic. Sniffing girl's and women's hair, ON STAGE, because it makes you feel good.

This is our farm just over the border from Fort Smith, AR in Oklahoma. The silos, feedlot, shops, and farmhand’s house all underwater and still rising. All equipment, animals and people were safely moved out. Total crop loss this year. pic.twitter.com/I3CFtkzTwX

My friend Michael and I went to our 30 year law school reunion last year. We also went to our 20th, 10 years ago. We get there, get a drink, walk around, say hi to people and leave. Then we go out to dinner to laugh about the old days. I think it is funny that you see people you didn't like in law school. and still don't like them. You notice who is good looking, who got fat, who didn't age well, who is still trying to be important, and on and on.

“Once again, unions are trying to use the courts to overturn Wisconsin’s historic and successful collective bargaining reform law. On behalf of our client, a school teacher, we’re fighting to ensure that workplace freedom is upheld in federal court. Our client deserves to have her day in court because she is uniquely positioned to argue for her legal and First Amendment rights.”

This guy occasionally appears on Fox as a natioinal security expert, and he apparently is fed up with John Brennan:

Tony Shaffer
‏Verified account @T_S_P_O_O_K_Y
2h2 hours ago

.@JohnBrennan you lied under oath, you spied on the US Senate, you implemented the @BarackObama assassination list known as the "Disposition Matrix" and are the central figure in the attempted coup d'etat - you have the principles of a Nazi official and the decency of Joe Stalin.
=============================
Now, what is this about the "Disposition Matrix?"

It's got to be getting through to some of them in the muddled middle at least. The ratings drop for CNN, MSNBC and drop in FB use for the far more "pretty pictures" format of Instagram is what I take as supporting evidence.

Posted by: anonamom | May 29, 2019 at 07:55 AM

Exactly. Instagram has been taken over by racism activists - particularly in the creative business world. Right now there is a calling out of any of the bigger names in the knitting/fiber community if they don't appropriately respond to criticisms of their silence or their misguided efforts to appease the mob. It's really something to watch.

A good friend of mine is a well-known knit pattern designer (she makes 6 figures annually), and she is sympathetic yet terrified. We agree that Instagram isn't a lot of fun lately, and it has always been my favorite of the social media platforms.

The "guy" Iggy is talking about it TomR. Apparently he is being Alinskyed. Here I thought he was losing most debates based on his skill set. (I exclude whatever is going on between GUS and him as I don't consider that debating)

It is these moments of clarity that help me decide when it is time to take short break to readjust my focus.

I believe that's the name for the process Zero used when he was exercising the power to kill anyone he chose for any reason (including U.S. citizens).

Back in 2012, when it looked like there might be a chance he'd lose to Romney, Obama's team started backtracking on the Presidential power they'd asserted, to kill at the President's whim without due process, or process of any kind, because of course they didn't want anyone else to have that power.

And, oddly enough, the MSM wasn't ever all that interested in a President asserting the power to target and kill individuals without trial or evidence or, really, any limit at all.

But of course it's really President Trump who's the authoritarian and the danger to democracy etc etc etc.

I remember the horrifying story you posted, and the poor person who got called out, and then grovelled to the mob but it didn't do any good anyway.

Really, the only possible sane response to the mob is "fuck you." That's it. Don't reason, don't engage, don't try to understand or appease. Just "fuck you" and turn your back, and let them howl at you, because they'll do it anyway even if you do give them everything you want.

"This was a very strong and persuasive appearance by Trey Gowdy, nailing Comey and Strzok and effectively gutting the stupidity of Eric Swalwell -- "

Sure. But more Repubs, WAY MORE Repubs need to stand tall and tell Dems they are personally outraged. Insist on indictments, guilty pleas and apologies. If they consider the coup attempt a bit of inside baseball, if they consider political weaponizaion of IRS, FBI and intelligence services as just a high spirited dirty trick then they need to go. Dems need to pay a price for attempting to gain totalitarian control.

This is a very interesting thread. This guy has researched the number of instances of certain words appearing in news stories, such as "diversity" or "racism" and plotted them on a graph against years, showing increases at certain times.

James at 9:25am, exactly. I'm saying nothing on the subject, which is my "privilege" and my right. Fortunately, I don't have enough followers to have drawn their attention, but my friend is in another category altogether.

The original scapegoat has gone full-blown SJW and I have hushed her account because I can't stand the over-compensation.

On another note, I've been working on printing a koi series on a large scale (which is taken a big dent out of my tote manufacturing time), and two pieces were just accepted in a regional art exhibit. So I better get to work figuring out how I'm going to mount them.